Carp

The snow on the roofs, and the street decorations, are reminders that it will be Christmas soon. Little Ludvík goes with his dad to buy a carp. The father lets the little boy choose the fish. He looks around all the street stalls and little tanks of live carps, until he finds the biggest one. The father is unpleasantly surprised by the size and price of the fish but he must keep his promise. On the way home, Ludvík tries to persuade his father to set the carp free and throw it back in the river but it is now too late for that. Ludvík's father is a caretaker at the large physical education building where the family has also been given a flat. Ludvík still cannot part from the carp but his mum finally sends him out of the bathroom and to bed. When the parents are asleep, little Ludvík goes and hides all the knives in the house. Then he jumps into the bath to join the carp. The water is cold so the boy adds some hot water. He likes it in the bath now but the carp starts turning over so Ludvík takes it to the big swimming pool in their building. The parents are looking everywhere for their boy. They finally find him in the swimming pool playing with the carp. The fish is now in good health. They drive the boy out of the pool but cannot catch the fish. The next day, the swimming pool stays closed to public.